Observations: I like Castro plenty, but I was a bit miffed by his selection at No. 50 overall. The 27-year-old had a whopping 207 hits last year and should continue his streak of .300-plus seasons in 2012. But he has very little power and seems unlikely to sail past the 22 stolen bases that he registered in 2011. Shortstop is shallow, but there’s no need to rush into a pick. I grabbed McCann with the expectation that he’ll provide me at least 20 homers and 80 RBI at a position where it’s difficult to find such power.

Observations: In Lawrie and Jennings, we have two promising young stars ready to get their fantasy due. Lawrie, a native of Canada, quickly became a fan favorite in Toronto last season after hitting nine home runs alongside a .953 OPS in his first 43 major league games. Jennings could be a 20 homers, 20 steals guy as soon as this year. I plucked Price because I didn’t think he’d last this long, and because I’m predicting him to win the 2012 American League Cy Young Award.

Observations: Here’s the round where risk begins to become a real factor. Berkman had a monstrous 2011 and should feel more comfortable back at first base in 2012, but can he really top last year’s production? Johnson made only nine starts last season due to shoulder issues, and do we really know what to expect from Mauer? I picked Kendrick thinking that he’s going to get a nice boost from the addition of Pujols. The second baseman should easily top last year’s 86 runs, and he provides a good amount of power at a position where that’s hard to come by.

Observations: I couldn’t help shaking my head after watching Wainwright’s name pop up shortly after my selection of Jones. I like Jones fine, and was happy to add his combination of speed and power to my outfield, but Waino seems like a great value pick here in the eighth round. He’s been throwing flawless bullpen sessions in Cardinals camp and is on track for a normal spring training and regular season. That could mean 200 strikeouts and an ERA under 3.00.

Observations: Hanson and Wieters stand out as the best picks of Round Nine. Hanson threw only 130 innings last year, but he’s claiming to be over the shoulder problems that plagued him last year and is capable of ace-like numbers if health is on his side in 2012. Wieters is finally meeting the hype, having mashed a quiet 22 home runs last season for the O’s. I nabbed Stubbs with the hope that he can limit his strikeouts and threaten for 25 homers and 45 stolen bases.

Observations: Freese was a superhero in the 2011 postseason, but he’s probably being overvalued in fantasy drafts this year for that reason. The 28-year-old third baseman hit only 10 home runs in 97 regular-season games last year and has not proven capable of maintaining good health for a full major league schedule. I nabbed Moore after considering taking him a few rounds earlier. The 22-year-old left-hander had a 12.7 career K/9 in the minor leagues and showed that he was capable of handling high-pressure situations last October in the ALDS against the Rangers. He’s fully capable of rookie-year dominance.

Observations: Cuddyer seems like a nice value. He’s moving from the cavernous Target Field to the very hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field in Colorado. I survived the initial run on closers without biting, and was able to snag two excellent ninth-inning arms in my back-to-back picks here in rounds 11 and 12. Madson was great last season in Philadelphia and should get a ton of save opportunities this year on a Reds team that boasts great offense but suspect starting pitching. My guess is that many of their games will be high-scoring but close.

Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was freed of his 50-game performance-enhancing drug suspension on Thursday evening after an independent arbitrator found fault with the way the testing process was carried out.

A urine sample collector (which may be the worst job title ever) took Braun’s specimen home with him rather than delivering it immediately to a FedEx Office for shipment to a lab in Montreal because it was late on a Saturday night and he figured that the store would be closed.

The collector stored the sample properly in his home refrigerator and eventually put it in the mail Monday morning, but the slight two-day delay provided a point of emphasis for Braun’s lawyers and they were able to win the heart and mind of arbitrator Shyam Das during an official appeal hearing last month in New York City.

Things change drastically when an MVP goes from inactive to active with the bang of a gavel, which is why we’re rushing to get you the latest of the latest mock draft results.

In the draft below, which I hosted late Thursday night on CouchManagers.com with a few amateur fantasy enthusiasts, you’ll find Braun selected where should be -- in the first round.

Picks were made based on a 12-team format with standard 5x5 rotisserie scoring. My selections are capitalized.

Observations: Cabrera has shot up draft boards with the news that he’s going to play a good amount of third base this year in Detroit. That kind of power at the hot corner is enough to make any fantasy owner salivate, though Kemp is still my preferred No. 1 overall pick with his ability to go for 40 homers and 40 steals. He has even predicted a 50-50 season for 2012. I took Votto because he was the best remaining source of power.

Observations: Hanley has been a sure-fire first-round pick for so long that it’s shocking to see him fall into the second round. But it’s right where he belongs considering his relative lack of production in 2011 and his apparent discontent over the move to third base. I took Upton because I’m a fan of upside and believe he can contend for the National League’s Most Valuable Player this year. He’ll play half of his games in one of baseball’s most hitter-friendly parks.

Observations: Santana has made a meteoric rise in the fantasy world, and rightly so after he slugged 27 home runs in 155 games last year as a 25-year-old. The Dominican backstop should only get better as he moves further and further away from the nasty knee injury that he suffered in 2010. I picked Zimmerman, hoping that he’ll get back to the 30-homer power that he displayed in 2009. With free agency looming after the 2013 season, he has plenty of motivation to right the ship.

Observations: Once a guaranteed first-round pick, Utley has fallen down draft boards in recent years. Which makes sense, given that he homered just 16 times in 2010 and 11 times in 2011. But he’s only 33 years old, and could prove to be a steal here in the fourth round if he’s able to stay off the disabled list and play a full schedule. I took Sabathia because I like to have at least one elite arm, and he’s right up there with baseball’s best fantasy starters.

Observations: I like Castro plenty, but I was a bit miffed by his selection at No. 50 overall. The 27-year-old had a whopping 207 hits last year and should continue his streak of .300-plus seasons in 2012. But he has very little power and seems unlikely to sail past the 22 stolen bases that he registered in 2011. Shortstop is shallow, but there’s no need to rush into a pick. I grabbed McCann with the expectation that he’ll provide me at least 20 homers and 80 RBI at a position where it’s difficult to find such power.

Observations: In Lawrie and Jennings, we have two promising young stars ready to get their fantasy due. Lawrie, a native of Canada, quickly became a fan favorite in Toronto last season after hitting nine home runs alongside a .953 OPS in his first 43 major league games. Jennings could be a 20 homers, 20 steals guy as soon as this year. I plucked Price because I didn’t think he’d last this long, and because I’m predicting him to win the 2012 American League Cy Young Award.

Observations: Here’s the round where risk begins to become a real factor. Berkman had a monstrous 2011 and should feel more comfortable back at first base in 2012, but can he really top last year’s production? Johnson made only nine starts last season due to shoulder issues, and do we really know what to expect from Mauer? I picked Kendrick thinking that he’s going to get a nice boost from the addition of Pujols. The second baseman should easily top last year’s 86 runs, and he provides a good amount of power at a position where that’s hard to come by.

Observations: I couldn’t help shaking my head after watching Wainwright’s name pop up shortly after my selection of Jones. I like Jones fine, and was happy to add his combination of speed and power to my outfield, but Waino seems like a great value pick here in the eighth round. He’s been throwing flawless bullpen sessions in Cardinals camp and is on track for a normal spring training and regular season. That could mean 200 strikeouts and an ERA under 3.00.

Observations: Hanson and Wieters stand out as the best picks of Round Nine. Hanson threw only 130 innings last year, but he’s claiming to be over the shoulder problems that plagued him last year and is capable of ace-like numbers if health is on his side in 2012. Wieters is finally meeting the hype, having mashed a quiet 22 home runs last season for the O’s. I nabbed Stubbs with the hope that he can limit his strikeouts and threaten for 25 homers and 45 stolen bases.

Observations: Freese was a superhero in the 2011 postseason, but he’s probably being overvalued in fantasy drafts this year for that reason. The 28-year-old third baseman hit only 10 home runs in 97 regular-season games last year and has not proven capable of maintaining good health for a full major league schedule. I nabbed Moore after considering taking him a few rounds earlier. The 22-year-old left-hander had a 12.7 career K/9 in the minor leagues and showed that he was capable of handling high-pressure situations last October in the ALDS against the Rangers. He’s fully capable of rookie-year dominance.

Observations: Cuddyer seems like a nice value. He’s moving from the cavernous Target Field to the very hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field in Colorado. I survived the initial run on closers without biting, and was able to snag two excellent ninth-inning arms in my back-to-back picks here in rounds 11 and 12. Madson was great last season in Philadelphia and should get a ton of save opportunities this year on a Reds team that boasts great offense but suspect starting pitching. My guess is that many of their games will be high-scoring but close.

Observations: Putz had a dominant 2.17 ERA and 61/12 K/BB ratio in 58 innings last season for the National League West champion Diamondbacks while tallying 45 saves in 49 chances. He seems likely to fare just as well in 2012 on an improved Arizona team. Morrison feels like a bit of a reach here in the 12th round when you consider that he batted just .247/.330/.468 with 23 homers, two stolen bases and 72 RBI last season. That’s a stat line that is easy to find in the outfield. His personality seems to have won him some unwarranted fantasy cred.

Observations: Drew looks like a solid value pick here in the 13th round. He’s almost fully recovered from the gruesome ankle fracture that he suffered last season on a play at home plate and has the ability to get back to the 20-homer plateau this year in Arizona if there are no lingering complications with his health. I grabbed Gordon because I wanted more stolen bases. He swiped 24 last year in just 56 games, and may be one of the fastest players in the major leagues. If he can hit .300 again and raise his on-base percentage, 80 steals could be within reach.

Observations: Trout is an intriguing case. He’s incredibly talented and one of the top future fantasy options in baseball, but he’s also just 20 years old and does not have a starting major league job for 2012. I would avoid him before the final few rounds because there’s no guarantee that he’s going to see a ton of action this year. But he’s one injury away from taking the big leagues by storm, so it’s hard to fault an owner for accepting the mild risk. I nabbed Feliz with the expectation that he will make a seamless transition from closer to starter. He has the arm to make my 14th-round selection look really good.

Observations: Luebke is a favorite of sleeper-seekers this year after registering a promising 3.29 ERA and 154/44 K/BB ratio in 139-plus innings last season for the Padres. Petco Park should keep his ERA low, and he has the stuff to maintain a strong strikeout rate for many years to come. The 26-year-old is a nice value here in the 15th round. I went with Goldschmidt for my utility spot. He has immense raw power and plays in a home park that caters perfectly to his skill set. I’m hoping for a big-time home run total.

Observations: Dunn was drafted early in leagues last year for all the right reasons. He was coming off seven straight seasons of 38-plus homers and was moving to one of the more hitter-friendly parks in the game. But the 32-year-old designated hitter fell completely flat, batting just .159/.292/.277 with 11 big flies for the White Sox. He carries a box of question marks into 2012. I drafted Sanchez thinking the spacious dimensions at the Marlins’ new stadium will lead to an even better stat line than he posted in 2011.

Observations: I was hoping Nathan would fall to me here in the 17th round and become my third closer, but he was plucked off the board just a few picks shy of my slot. The veteran right-hander got better and better last year as he moved further and further away from Tommy John surgery, posting a 3.91 ERA and 22/5 K/BB ratio across 23 innings in the second half. He should be great for the defending American League champion Rangers. I settled for Street, who probably won’t see as many save opportunities as Nathan but is capable of converting just about all of them.

Observations: With Nationals manager Davey Johnson reportedly keeping an open mind to the possibility of Harper cracking the Opening Day roster, he’s well worth a late-round fantasy selection. The 19-year-old outfielder might be the best prospect in baseball history and could probably do damage in the majors immediately if the Nats actually commit to him from the outset. He’s more likely to be called up around the All-Star break, but I’ll simply hold onto him until then and keep him out of the hands of competing owners.